


Demons by Candlelight

by Venstar



Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Candles, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-03-09
Packaged: 2018-09-24 16:15:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9769868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Venstar/pseuds/Venstar
Summary: if you summon it, it will come.





	1. Summoning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rosiemadder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosiemadder/gifts).



> uh this started out as a valentine's drabble and i just kept coming back to it as ideas popped up, enjoy the crazy ride!

 

Another day, another long day and the young man was tired. Oh so very tired. He went to work, did his work of drudgery, maybe he ate, maybe he didn’t, but it was always the same, day in and day out.

A puff of breath into the air and it hung for a moment before whacking him in the face. “One foot forward, one foot forward, you’re almost home. Almost home and you can have a bath.” He smiled to himself at the thought and his pace picked up.

As he shed his coat and bag, the day shed with him and soon he was skipping towards his bedroom and ensuite bathroom. “Tub, tub, tub, ta ta tub, ta tub!” He sang a merry tune as he turned the taps, hot water filling the porcelain, steam rising to greet him. He rummaged around in the undersink cupboard until he found his box of candles. “I deserve a treat. We’re lighting these suckers up. Ooooh I still have a bath bomb! Perfect.” He scooted over to the tub and began to lay the candles out around the tub and at the corners. Once he had the candles steady and lit, he turned the bathroom lights off, a warm glow filled the area around the tub and it looked nice and cozy.

He stripped down until he was bare on the bathrug and flung the bath bomb into the steaming water. “Oh god, it’s a red glitter one. Wow, it looks like a blood sacrifice. All I need now is a pentagram or something. Well, damn, nothing left to it though.” He stepped up to the tub, but before he got in, he raised his arms and said, “OH DEMON OF THE BATHTUB I CALL UPON YOU TO BLESS THIS WATER AND MAKE ME CLEAN AND COVERED IN GLITTER. MAY THE HIPPOS TAPDANCE AT YOUR MERCY AND BLESS YOU FOREVER.” He laughed at his silliness and hopped into the tub. “It’s the little things that I enjoy.” He moved his arms back and forth, disturbing the water, watching the candlelight catch on the red glittery water. It caught on his hands, he lifted them up and he was both red and gold. “Now I’m a Bathtub demon. Ha.” Another laugh and a kick of his leg and he settled back to enjoy the soothing warmth...until the room began to shake. “What!?”

The candles flickered, a strange wind blew through his bathroom, although there was no window open. The room was thrown into complete darkness, a gasp rose from his lips, his hands tightened on the edges of the tub as it shook until all was silent, quiet and steady under his fingertips. He jerked and his eyes went wild as the candles came back on, lighting themselves and “AAAAH!” He was face to face with an unexpected face right in front of him. He kicked himself backwards, away from the face with the piercing blue eyes. “What!”

The face smiled, a wide white grin. “You called?”

The young man's eyes flicked back and forth, “I called?”

The face smiled once more, “You called and I answered. Bathtub Demon.”

“Bathtub Demon.”

“Aye, and what are you called?”

“Um. Q?”

“You say that like it’s a question.”

“Oh I’m questioning a lot of things right now,” Q whispered. “Like when did I sustain a head injury, or maybe I fell asleep. It’s dangerous to fall asleep in a bathtub. I’ll likely drown and no one will know I’ve died until a week later when the smell starts to seep into the other flats.”

The Bathtub Demon grinned, “That is a dour thought, but you are not asleep.” He touched Q’s cheek.


	2. Tomorrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On travel, no beta and this thought occurred to me.

Q stood in his kitchen, a mug of tea in his hands, the steam had long gone, as had the heat.  He closed his eyes.

"Wake up," he whispered, "wake up." He cracked an eye open and huffed a breath out, causing his fringe to dance about.  Nope, the oddly named 'bathtub demon' was still lying on his couch.  "Unbelievable.  I've lost my fucking mind.  That's it, I've finally lost it."

Q glared at his couch. Clothes scrounged from the deep recesses of Q's closet, left from boyfriends past, had been brought out to cover the demon.  An old pair of track pants, black with red stripes, a faded cotton T-shirt that read 'not all who wander are lost.' The demon had grinned at this shirt, his teeth white and even.  

"This is true.  We wander, we're misplaced, but rarely are we lost."

Q had led him back to the bathroom to put the clothes on, hoping beyond hope that the demon would just disappear.  He had gone to his kitchen and dug out the rare bags of chamomille that had been given to him by those concerned about his health.  Mostly those former boyfriends who thought he didn't get enough sleep.  

Unfortunately, the horrid, hay tasting tea had no effect.  The fully clothed demon had come waltzing out of the bathroom and took up position on Q's couch.

"What are we doing tomorrow?" The demon asked.

"We!?  Tomorrow?" Q asked, stunned.  He raised his mug to take a sip, to stall for time.  He grimaced, gross, the grotty hay tea was very cold.  

"Yes, tomorrow.  Unless there's another day.  Do you have another day?"

"Um..." Q froze and turned.  His mind could only handle one problem at a time right now.  He went to his sink and dumped the tea out and rinsed his mug.  "Uh, tomorrow." He scratched his head, hair still damp around the edges from his interrupted bath.  

"Is tomorrow your favorite word?" The demon asked.  He looked concerned. His eyes wrinkled around the edges. "You've said it often."

"I worked today, an emergency, so tomorrow is Sunday.  Can you go out on a Sunday?" Q asked.

"I don't see why not?  Why not?" The demon asked.  "What's special about Sunday?"

Q shook his head, eyes wide.  "Nothing."

The demons wide smile appeared again, "Excellent!  I haven't been called out in such a long time.  Will we have fun?"

Q didn't know how to answer the demon.  "I don't know?"

"What do you mean you don't kno. You know how to have fun, don't you."

"Um..." Q tugged at his pajama top, "my sense of fun, isn't quite like other peoples sense of fun."

At this, the demon perked up, he gathered himself on the couch, tucking his feet beneath him.  "That sounds like fun!  Will you enjoy it?"

Surprised, Q answered, "uh, yeah, I do, I will."

"Then so will I!  But you are tired.  I can see it in your eyes, in your face, the way you stand."

"Thanks?" Q said, confused.  

"You're welcome," the demon smiled.  "Good night, we have an appointment in the morning then." With that last comment, the demon pulled the quilt from the back of the couch and made himself comfortable and ready for sleep.  "Turn the light off as you go.  Candlelight is soothing, but these lights are harsh."

Q stood, his mouth slightly hanging open at the dismissal and order.  He turned like a robot and flicked the lights off, as he went to find his own bed.  He checked and double checked the lock on his door.  

"I, the quartermaster of MI6, have a strange man staying overnight in my flat.  Maybe. Maybe he is just a figment and when I wake up, it will all be nonsense." Q didn't take a chance, he took the Sig-Sauer out of the safe, hidden in his closet and tucked it under his pillow.  "Tomorrow."

 


	3. Names

Q puttered about in the kitchen.  It was late morning, he had yawned and scratched his way to his living room and found that no, the crazy stranger was still in his flat, sleeping on his couch.

"Oh boy." He whispered, "oh boy." Not knowing what to do, he crept into his kitchen to make real tea, he needed the caffeine.  His energy was spent on making tea and toast, all that he could focus on for now.  

He heard a soft rustle of sound and the line of his shoulders tensed.  

"Good morning." The bathtub demon said, his voice soft and husky with sleep.

Q peeked over his shoulder, a mouthful of toast, he mumbled, "'Lo." Embarrased, Q brushed his hand across his mouth, crumbs fell.  "Er, toast?"

"Yes, I believe that is what humans call toast." The demon answered.

"No, yes, it is toast.  Do you want some?  Are you hungry?"

"No one has ever offered me toast before.  Or food, now that I think about it.  What does it taste like?"

Stunned, Q didn't know what to say, other than offer the other triangle of toast from his plate to the demon.  Expectations will always get you in the end, they are fickle creatures.  Q expected the demon to take it from him and eat it.  Instead, the demon came forward and approached the toast like a cat.  He stared, touched, sniffed it and then nibbled it.  Q laughed as the demons eyebrows flew up and then practically snatched it from Q's hand and gobbled it up.

"I'll make more, would you like anything else?"

"Only what you will eat.  I cannot take what is not freely given."

Q started at this statement.  "You mean had I not given you clothes you wouldn't have asked or taken?"

"No, never take, it is not for us to take."

"There are more of you?"

The demon shrugged, "I don't know, we're rarely called."

"Hmm." Q didn't know what to say, so he concentrated on breakfast for two.  He abandoned the demon in the kitchen, to dress in private.  He came out to find the demon browsing the bookshelves, brimming over with words.  The demons hands tucked behind his back, as if to halt the temptation to reach and take.  Those shelves, Q knew were filled with books on coding, languages, travel, art history and birding. 

Q watched the demon curiously as he went to the window and looked out.  Q jumped when the demon spoke.

"This is so very much different than the place I call home." The demon said, he pressed his nose to the glass and watched the birds, the fog, the people, the cars, he seemed to became a bit lost to his surroundings, until Q cleared his throat behind him.

"Sorry, you have a home?"

"Yes and no.  It's not like this, more like that." The demon pointed to the fog.

"Sounds dreary." Q eyed the grey haze, visibility obscured the tops of the buildings.

"Yes."

"What are you called?"

"We spoke of this, I am a Bathtub demon."

"No, I mean do you have a name?"

"Bathtub demon."

"No, uh.  Hmmm.  Well.  I mean, my name is Q.  Not really, but it is what I go by, what people, uh humans call me. Do you have something similar?"

"Bathtub demon." The man...demon was definitely starting to look confused.

"Okay well, we can't call you that in public."

"Public?"

"Yes, out there, when we go out.  I can't call you bathtub demon out there.  People will...stare, or laugh, we'd make a scene." Q shook his head for emphasis.

"Outside?  Out there?" The bathtub demon's voice rose as he pointed to the window.

"Er, yes."

"No one has ever taken me out there." The bathtub demon spoke in a low voice.

"Oh."  Q paused.  "I'm sorry, I don't understand the rules.  Are you not allowed out, out?"

The demon's smile became so wide and happy, Q was blinded for a moment.  "No, I am.  At least I think I am, it's just, if I was called, I was either hidden or hated and you aren't doing either.  I like you."

"Okay.  Well.  Thank you, I think.  I'm not sure what one does with a bathtub demon."

"Anything you like!"

"Hrmmm.  Well for starters, what I would like, is to name you."  Q froze as the demons head whipped around.

"I would like to be named."

"Well, its easier said than done.  I've only named my cats and a fish or two.  Let me think.  How about uh...Bob?"

The demon shook his head.

"Bill...no, I know a Bill.  Um Joe?"

The demon shook his head.

"Eve Moneypenny?" Q couldn't help it, he laughed at his own joke.

"No thank you." The demon looked on with some amusement as Q finished laughing.

Q glanced at the bookshelf for inspiration.  A book on the birds of the West Indies caught his eye.  "James?"

The demon perked up, again reminding Q of a cat.  "Do you like James?  There's a last name for it, Bond."

"Bond, James Bond." The demon tested the name out.  Q waited for his decision.  "I like it."

"Well then, James, I'm Q." Q held his hand out, James copied him.  Q took it and gave it a firm shake.

"Q.  I'm James!" The demon shook Q's hand enthusiastically.  


	4. Enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Traveling, no beta.

Q watched with amusement as the newly named bathroom demon, all but bounced on his toes in front of the window. 

"I have a name!  James.  James!  Say it, say it, can I hear it again."

Q huffed out a short laugh, "Just this once, James.   You don't want to wear it out."

The demon visibly drooped in front of Q and with hushed panic in his voice, asked   "It will wear out!?  Is that what happened to yours?"

"Mine?" Q asked, caught off guard.

James rushed up to Q and spoke in a fast and rushed tone, "All you're left with is a Q!  Do you not remember the whole name, will that happen to mine?  How long does it take?  Will you release me before or after it's gone?"  

Q backed up a step, slightly afraid and wishing he had not left his sig-sauer in his closet safe.  Dammit, that was foolish, he thought.  All he had, was his pocket kerambit.  He snagged the ring, preparing to defend himself, but unfortunately, like a cat, his curiosity got the better of him.  He paused in his motions..."Wait, wait, wait. . Q shook his head, "calm down, Q is a, uh, nickname I go by, like you could go by."

"I could go by Q?  That does not make sense.  A small furrow appeared in between his eyes, "How does that work."

"No, I'm not giving you a great explanation am I?" Q sighed and pushed his glasses up, before shaking his hands out.

"You have given me clothes, a place to sleep, food and a name.  I should not be demanding that you give me an explanation." James took a step back, out of Q's space.  "It is against our rules.  I will be punished for this when you let me go." 

Q's eyes widened in surprise, while he would have loved, so very dearly for this stranger to disappear the moment he'd appeared in his now avoided bathtub, the idea that James was called and let go at the whim of whoever summoned him, tugged his heart sideways in his chest.  He curled his mouth in dissatisfaction and pursed his lips.  As always, the little scientist that lived in his mind shook it's cage.  HE IS AN UNKNOWN YOU KNOW NOTHING YOU NEED TO LEARN MORE, LEARN, LEARN LEARN!!!

Q waved his hands in front of him, "No, no, no.  Asking for clarification on a subject you are unfamiliar with is not demanding, it's...normal.  I will expect you to ask if things are unclear or confusing.  As I was saying.  Q is a nickname I go by.  Your name I've given you, has a few nick names, like Jim or Jimmy..." Q threw back his head and laughed at the look of horror on the demons face.  "Okay, so no giving you a nickname."

"I should say not, those are not James.  I will only answer to that once given."

Q was still chuckling, "Okay James.  Okay."

"The other bathtub demons will be so jealous when they find out I was given a name!"

Q looked with some horror on James, "I won't be expecting more of you, will I!?"

"No, only one allowed per summons.  You got me!"

"How...how long do I...have you, how much time before you have to go?"

"It depends on the human.  Usually they let me go after I have done something for them, once they figure out what they want.  My time is your time."

"That doesn't sound fair." 

James glanced back out the window, the sun peeped through the fog and highlighted his face, the sadness in the depths of his eyes.  "No, no, it is not."

Q hesitated before plowing through.  "What have you been asked to do?"

James kept staring out the window, he approached it once more and said nothing.  Q waited, but no answer was forthcoming.  "James?"

"Enough, I have been asked to do enough."

 

 


	5. Smoke

James turned back to Q, he shifted his weight from barefoot to barefoot.  Q stared down at the bare wiggling toes, the demon looked oh so very human, it was frightfully distracting.  "What is your normal appearance?"  He asked, he was curious, he couldn't help it.

"This is my normal appearance."  James held his arms up and looked at his hands.  "Is this not a normal appearance?  Should I change?"

"No, no.  I mean, what do you look like in demon form."

James thought for a moment before answering, he pointed to the lifting fog, "I look like that, but darker.  Smokier, that's a word, isn't it?  Like the first smoke of a new fire at night, but this is what I look like when I'm summoned, so I look like this too.  Do you not like it?  Is it inappropriate here, I'm not sure I can change it."

"It's very appropriate, if I didn't know you were anything other than human, I wouldn't be able to tell.  Yes, smokier is a word, you look like smoke...can I see?"

James raised his blond, human eyebrows at Q's question.  "I've not been asked to do that before."

Q grimaced, another faux pas, "Is it against the rules or rude, I...just, I'm curious."

James smiled brightly, "It's nothing, it's just new!  Hold on." 

Q literally held on, he grabbed the edge of his bookcase and waited, tensely.  The demon's form wavered and shifted, until all that was left was this thick, blue grey "smoke" and a pile of clothes on the floor.  Q didn't have any other word to describe the thick, hazy of the cloud as it hung above the floor.  It curled and danced it's way towards him, as if it were excited to escape it's human boundaries.  The demon, if this is what demons really looked like, and Q couldn't really get over that demons existed, swirled around him, slow and steady, as if it was trying not to scare him, it twirled and twirled, until it was all around, hovering not smothering.  Q removed his hand from the bookcase and reached out to touch.  Before he could, he stopped and waited, millimeters from the smoke.  Asking for permission, "May I?" wisps drifted out and curled around his fingers.  It, it was...nothing, cool and drifting.  Fingers spread, he smoothly and slowly raked through the smoke, it swirled, allowing him to pass through unimpeded.  He jumped when the smoke jumped, it pulled back and reformed into James.

"Um." Q looked up, his eyes going everywhere but the demon standing starkers in front of him.  

"Is something wrong?" The demon looked up at the ceiling, studying it, just like Q was looking up.

"No, just thought I saw a spider really quick like." Q brought his eyes back down, level with James, or as level as he could go.  Ho boy.  

"You mentioned doing something fun today, but not like the fun other people have."

Q blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair, before turning away, "Yes.  Yes.  Normally on a Sunday, I'd just order in and catch up on reading, clean a bit, watch some telly and play a bit of video games.  Be a sloth, really."  He heard rustling behind him, hoping the demon was now clothed, Q turned.  Oh, nope, not a stitch on him.  "However...however, I have a guest and I can't just stay home and be all slothlike.  I said we'd go out, and I keep my promises, circumstances allowing.  You'll need to put those back on, if you want to go out."  Q barked out a laugh as the demon eagerly snatched up his clothing and then literally dropped his trousers on the floor, in his haste to sort through his items to get them on in the right order.  Q could hear him murmuring to himself.

"Those little, baby trousers first, where are they..ahahaha...there they are."  James hopped around on one leg trying to get the pants up, "Oh wait that's backwards, where is that tag thing...okay big trousers next...tag, back, front...shirt."  James looked up and Q had a hand covering his smile, "Is this right?"

Q nodded, "Yes, good job."

"Where will we go first?"

"There's a shop a few streets over, TESCO's, I can get you a few more necessities for however long you'll be here and groceries for more than just one person.  You up for that?"  Q asked, the demon had said he hadn't been out and he didn't want to overstep any boundaries or fears.

"Yes, anything you like.  Remember, I'm yours to command!"  James answered, reminding Q about how trapped he seemed.

"About that, I'd prefer if you let me know what you are and are not comfortable with.  I'm literally about to take a bathtub demon out into the world, I can't believe I said that...out loud.  Are you real?"

"I am, yes!"

"Okay well, the world is full of humans, noise, pollution, possible rain, dog...oh...shit.  Shoes.  You don't have any shoes.  Hold on, I can't...you can't walk around barefoot, the shops won't let you in and you'll probably get hurt.  Let me see what I have." Q ran back to his closet and hunted about until he found an old pair of trainers shoved in a box.  He grabbed a pair of athletic socks and jogged back to the living room.  "Here," he said, handing the items to James, he hurried to the hall to put his own shoes on. "Those ought to fit.  Socks go on the feet, shoes on..." Q hesitated when he stood up, James was holding the shoes in one hand and the socks in the other, looking very confused.

"Here, sit." Q pointed to the sofa.  James sat down with a soft thump onto the sofa and waited.  "Give me your foot." Q pointed to James's right foot.  James hesitated, but Q just barrelled on, "Come on, give it over, just set it here," he patted the top of his thigh.  James finally moved and gingerly set his foot on top of Q's thigh.  Q smiled at him and rolled up the sock, before placing it over his toes and rolling it down.  "See, that's how.  Try it with the other foot."  He handed the remaining sock over and watched as James clumsily maneuvered the sock until he had it on.  He grinned at Q, happy with his small victory.  "Now for the shoes, foot again, please."  James lifted his foot with more confidence this time and Q put the shoe on, that was a bit more tricky, he had to adjust the laces and then get James to..."push, just come on, one good push, there's a good lad."  He laughed at James's face at having his foot confined to the blue and grey trainer.  "You do the next one." Q laughed a lot more and helped a little less as James figured out the ropes to putting the last trainer on.  The laces stumped him though.  His tongue was sticking out, his brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to get the bunny ears to cooperate.

After supervising the bunny ear tying, Q found another ex-boyfriend's leftovers in the hall closet, "Man I really need to declutter."  He presented James with a plain, navy blue hoodie and grabbed his own jacket.  "We'll get you something else while we're out, I'm not sure how long you'll be here and, well.  You'll be more comfortable in things that actually fit you, come on!"

Q and James left the building, running into absolutely zero neighbors, Q wasn't sure how to explain who James was or where he came from.  He opened the door to the street level and as James exited before him, hesitating in the watery sunlight, Q said to himself, "A boy and his demon...what a story."


	6. Dogs and Babes

Q was in the oddest mood he had ever been in, by the time they managed to walk to the TESCOs he had mentioned...almost an hour later.  It should NOT have taken an hour to walk the few blocks, it should have been 15 minutes, maybe 20 if they walked slow...which they had.  James had stopped outside his building for 5 minutes.  Q had timed him, he let him look his fill, thinking that would be it...nope.  Instead, James stopped every few feet to turn and silently stare at EVERYTHING, and by everything, it meant men, buses, women, cars, taxi's, children, dogs, cats, birds.  Q was sure that if there had been fish...he'd have stopped and stared at those as well.  Old Mrs. McMurtry, who lived a few doors down had come around the corner with her maltese, Bernard, who had run right up to James and jumped all over his knees.  Rather than freaking out, James had just yelled, "DOG!" and plopped himself down in the middle of the busy sidewalk to pet and play with Bernard, who was happy to oblige.  

Old Mrs. McMurtry merely stood her ground, silently glaring at Q and flaying him alive, with her eyes.  She did however, smile down at James, who was cuddling the "sweet doggie," earning himself a place in Old Mrs. McMurtry's heart and Bernard's good graces.

"James.  James, say goodbye to Bernard," Q mumbled shoving at his shoulder.

"Who's a good doggie!  Who's a good dog, good dog!"  James ruffled the dog's fur and gave the ears a good scratch.  He stood up, still holding Bernard.

"Put him down, down." Q hissed, snapping and pointing his finger to the ground.  Old Mrs. McMurtry's beady old eyes shifted to him, peeling him open like an onion, his insides bled out from the cuts.  "James."

"Do I have to?"  

"Yes," Q hissed, "Ol..Mrs. McMurtry would probably like to continue on."

James sighed and gave the dog a good hug before putting him back down and a pat to the head.  "Good dog.  I've never pet one before."

Uh oh, Q thought, his eyes jumped to Old Mrs. McMurtry, who was just opening her mouth to address James...

"Allergies!  Deathly allergies.  Well, we have to go, Come on, James." Q grabbed the demon's hand, quickly yanking him away from what was probably going to be some god awful interrogation, which he was not ready for, yet...ever.  

An hour later found them still holding hands, because if he'd let go, James would have gotten run over by the foot traffic or into the many inanimate items that fascinated him as well.  Q was going to have to buy sooooo much soap, James had touched everything that wasn't moving and a few things that were moving.  

"If this is what having children is like, I'm glad I didn't plan on having any."  Q mumbled.  

This got the demon's attention, "What are children?"

"What?"

"What are children?"

"Offspring, human offspring.  See that stroller up ahead, there's a baby in there...probably, it might have an older baby, a toddler.  Eventually, they grow up and walk and talk and....urk" Q was cut off as James pulled him directly towards the stroller he had been talking about.  "Wait, you might..."  Q covered his head, waiting to be smacked by the mother defending her baby, instead, what he heard was this.

"It's so tiny!  May I see?"

The woman looked up at being addressed, Q expected her to clutch her baby to her chest and run away from a stranger asking to see her child.  James merely waited with innocent expectation on his face and strangely, the woman smiled and said "Of course."  She stopped walking and let James peer over the edge, "And, it's a she."

"A girl!" James studied the tiny baby as it waved it's fists in the air, he reached a finger out to touch the fist, he managed to give it a tiny tap before he was pulled back by Q.

"You have to ask and you just finished petting Bernard." Q whispered harshly, "Sorry," he mouthed to the mom.  

She just smiled and shook her head, "It's alright, people love babies and they don't always understand, but thank you."

"You don't want a baby, Q" James asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Um."

The mom smiled.  "No babies for you?" she asked teasingly.

"He thinks I'm child like, so he doesn't plan to have any," the demon informed her matter of factly.

Q's face flushed as the woman laughed.

"Most husbands are." she said.

"What's a husband?" James asked.

"And okay that's our cue to leave, no pun intended.  Move along now, leave the baby, come on."  Q pushed and pulled James down the street, away from the mom who was finally looking at them like they'd lost their minds.

"Do you have a husband?" 

"Keep moving and stop talking." Q muttered out of the corner of his mouth and "Ix-nay on the usband-hay will you."

"Ix-nay, usband-hay?"

Q heaved a sigh and just pulled James along answering questions and letting him stop, well letting is not quite the term Q would use to describe how James would plant himself firmly to the ground and look his fill at what he wanted, holding Q's hand, no matter how hard he tugged.  

"It's like herding elephants," Q said after the first tug of war in which he lost, and he lost it pretty badly, as James tucked him under his shoulder to watch cats playing in a second story window, half a street away from Q's.  He was sure that his face would be permanently red for the rest of his life, standing there, staring at cats, being held by a big blond man who was also watching the cats, while his small companion continually tried to escape.  "How no one thinks you're kidnapping me, I don't know," Q grumbled out.  He admitted to himself that the cats were awfully cute.  Cuter than babies if truth be told.  When James was ready, they continued on and Q saw a whole new side of London than he had ever seen, thanks to the demon's observations, inexperience and inability to be apologetic of what he wanted.  Q gave in each time, which allowed the demon his time and sightseeing.  

"I have never, laughed this hard in my entire life," He said to James after the umpteenth dog that just seemed to adore him.  This time it was two weimaraners that were trying to climb into his lap at the same time.

"Can we have a dog?"

"Oh no, absolutely not.  No babies and no dogs."

James looked so downcast, Q had to explain further, "My time at my job, doesn't allow the luxury of time it would cost to spend taking care of a dog or a baby.  They need to be walked, petted...well babies don't need to be pet, but you do have to handle them a lot since they're unable to do much of anything...and fed, cared for and I would be a cruel master or father, not able to provide these things for them."

"What pet could we get?"

"We. A pet?"  Flabbergasted, Q's brain fell into his shoes and stayed there, no matter how many times James tried to pry an answer out of him, he just kept tugging him along until they got to the store entrance.

 


End file.
